Diet Quality and Physical Activity Outcome Improvements Resulting From a Church-Based Diet and Supervised Physical Activity Intervention for Rural, Southern, African American Adults

Abstract

We assessed the effects of a 6-month, church-based, diet and supervised physical activity intervention, conducted between 2011 and 2012, on improving diet quality and increasing physical activity of Southern, African American adults. Using a quasi-experimental design, eight self-selected, eligible churches were assigned to intervention or control. Assessments included dietary, physical activity, anthropometric, and clinical measures. Mixed model regression analysis and McNemar's test were used to determine if within and between group differences were significant. Cohen's d effect sizes for selected outcomes also were computed and compared with an earlier, lower dose intervention. Retention rates were 84% (102/122) for control and 76% (219/287) for intervention participants. Diet quality components, including fruits, vegetables, discretionary calories, and total quality, improved significantly in the intervention group. Strength/flexibility physical activity also increased in the intervention group, while both aerobic and strength/flexibility physical activity significantly decreased in the control group. Effect sizes for selected health outcomes were larger in the current intervention as compared to an earlier, less intense iteration of the study. Results suggest that more frequent education sessions as well as supervised group physical activity may be key components to increasing the efficacy of behavioral lifestyle interventions in rural, Southern, African American adults.

The church bridge project: Lessons learned from comparing the outcomes of an adapted church-based weight management intervention targeting african american adults

“…Other church-based studies [20][21][22][23] with an all or predominantly African American study sample had higher retention (range of 73.0 to 84.0%) and older participants (mean age range of 47 to 60 years of age) compared to our phase 1 study while retention was comparable for phase 2. Additionally, the research reflects that most participants in similar studies were predominantly female and overweight/obese.…”

“…Additionally, the research reflects that most participants in similar studies were predominantly female and overweight/obese. Participants of three of the five [20][21][22][23][24] similar studies were at risk for diabetes [22] or were previously diagnosed with hypertension [23] or diabetes [24] as inclusion criteria. Overall, participants of similar studies [20][21][22][23][24] were older and had a greater prevalence of chronic disease compared to our baseline samples.…”

Engaging Black Churches to Address Cancer Health Disparities: Project CHURCH

“…Church congregations often have resources such as active health ministries ( 17 ), stable membership over long periods of time ( 9 ), and members with deep social ties ( 16 ). Church-based health promotion interventions have resulted in increased physical activity ( 9 , 18 – 20 ), increased fruit and vegetable intake ( 19 , 21 – 24 ), and increases in cancer screening behaviors (e.g., mammography, colorectal cancer screening) ( 25 , 26 ). However, developing such fruitful partnerships with churches is a delicate process that requires investment in time and resources; development of trust; and thorough, systematic planning ( 9 , 27 ).…”

Engagement Indicators Predict Health Changes in a Lifestyle Intervention

“…Results indicated that the intervention was effective in improving diet quality and blood lipids, and increasing physical activity in this cohort. 12 Given the limitations of the literature, the objective of this secondary analysis was to evaluate the utility of several participant engagement indicators for predicting changes in dietary, physical activity, anthropometric, and clinical outcomes in Delta Body and Soul III. We hypothesized that participants with higher engagement in intervention components would have larger improvements in health outcomes as compared to control participants and intervention participants, both with lower levels of engagement.…”